Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,26

heart was trying to climb out of my chest. I’d never expected this. Why would Lionel let her come back?

Tory’s cool gaze moved to my face, her expression bored. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Marguerite shrieked a laugh and Mildred sniggered somewhere behind me, making my hackles rise dangerously.

“Tory,” I growled, shaking her, drawing my Phoenix flames under my skin, trying to urge them into her to burn out the shadows keeping my sister prisoner. “Hold still.” The flames reached the very edges of my flesh and a deep, burning creature in me called for the Phoenix that lived in her, but no answer came in return. I gasped, realising what that meant, my grip on her firming.

“Let go of me.” Tory tugged her arm away, a swirl of darkness in her eyes making determination storm through me. I will set you free.

I reached for her again and Tory raised her hands as if she was about to fight me. But I didn’t care. I’d fight through every force in this world to save her.

“Darcy,” Caleb shot to my side, pulling me back. “Not here.”

Tory looked between us with her nose wrinkling then walked away, heading off to a table full of H.O.R.E.S with Mildred dropping down at her side, smirking darkly back at me. Xavier had risen from his seat, staring from Tory to Darius with a look of horrified surprise written into his features.

“No,” I snarled as Caleb gripped my arm tighter.

Darius marched past me after Tory, but Max intercepted him, pushing him back.

“Not. Here,” Caleb hissed and I met his gaze, my heart splintering up the middle. But through the fog of emotion clouding my mind, I could see he was right.

I nodded, straightening my spine and fighting not to shake with anger at seeing my sister like that.

Max spoke into Darius’s ear and he finally gave in with a growl of frustration, turning back and the two of them headed toward the door.

Caleb moved at my side as we followed and Geraldine raced after us with tears still streaming down her cheeks.

“Oh, my Queen, what will we do?” she begged of me.

I didn’t have an answer, but I was going to damn well find one. “I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out.”

She nodded several times, tears still flowing freely down her cheeks.

We bumped into Seth outside and he howled to the sky as Caleb explained what was going on. Then we all started moving across campus in a tight group, heading to King’s Hollow. The Heirs had increased the amount of protection spells on their hideout tenfold last night, keeping it a haven away from other students or teachers.

When we arrived at the huge tree that gave access to it, we headed up inside the hidden stairway while Geraldine muttered under her breath about barbequing Lionel Acrux and serving him up to a pack of hungry dogs.

My heart blazed with the flames of my Order as I was torn between being distraught by Tory turning me away and relieved that she was here. Because now we had a real chance to get close to her. And that was what we’d been hoping for for months.

We headed into the large lounge at the heart of the treehouse and I looked to Darius, seeing my own pain mirrored in his eyes.

“There’s something we can do to help her,” I announced and everyone turned to me hopefully. Darius took a step toward me like I was the answer to everything he’d dreamed of all summer.

“Her Order is being suppressed. I couldn’t sense her Phoenix, that must be what it is,” I said firmly, needing it to be true. Because I knew there was a way to fix that.

“Holy tartlets,” Geraldine gasped and Seth howled again.

“Shit, Lionel must be giving her Order Suppressant shots. They can last a few days,” Max said and the others nodded.

“But there’s an antidote right?” I asked anxiously. Gabriel had told me about it in a bunch of his stories from when he’d attended Aurora Academy.

“Yeah,” Darius confirmed, his eyes lighting with hope and I felt it too, brightening up the dark void living inside me.

“Hm, where can we get some of that? It’s not exactly something we can buy,” Seth said thoughtfully.

“I know exactly who can get it for us,” I said confidently.

“Who?” Darius asked with a frown.

I smiled, feeling like we finally had something that could really save Tory at long last. “My brother.”

I woke early in a soft bed that